One in five workers in a CNBC|SurveyMonkey poll said AI has them considering trade or manual work, but only 3% said they were already switching. Survey intentions are not the same as completed career changes.
PwC's 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey of 49,364 workers finds 64% used AI at work in the past year, up 10 points, while access to learning and development resources fell to 51% from 59%.
MBO Partners' 2026 State of Independence survey counts 74.9 million U.S. adults doing independent work. The company-sponsored estimate uses a broad definition and cannot be added to payroll employment.
